Awakened Fate
by Teefa and Co
Summary: Warning for major Lita related Spoilers. The story of Lita from after she awakens describing the start of her job as a Galgazit, her lost past, and the dreams of a mysterious woman she keeps having.
1. Morningstar Light

**Morningstar Light**

The people in Kavoc were surprised one morning to see a glow coming from the north. It flashed brighter than the sun, and stayed lit for a mere 30 seconds. However, those that paid close attention noticed that the bright flare came from the legendary city of Avenberry, a sealed place no one had entered since it crashed to the ground about 400 years ago. Nobody could make heads nor tails of what happened, especially since it came from where it did. But as time went on, the mysterious event was forgotten in the minds of the people. All they remembered it as was the "Morningstar Light!"

This is the tale behind that story. For on that day, the great power was awakened and brought back to the world. A power that would spin together several strangers in one quest that would not only determine the fate of the world, but unite their hearts forever. And it was in the hands of one girl.

S...S

_She felt like she'd slept for years…_

"Wha…what happened?" whispered a teenage girl who was lying on the floor in a crumpled heap, "Where am I?" The girl had long brown hair and deep brown eyes. She was wearing a white skirt with a sleeveless purple top that went down to the skirt's bottom with a triangular cut and was topped with white around the breast area, a pair of leather boots, white socks, and white billowy sleeves with purple lining on the bottom and belts tightening them so they held up. Her accessories consisted of some gold circles on her sleeve lining, a purple tie with gold on the bottom and where it tied to her neck, a purple band around her right thigh, a circular purple hat with gold markings, and a mysterious red jewel on a chain.

The young one looked around the area with nervous fear; it appeared to be an atelier of some sort. She realized that not only didn't she know where she was, but she didn't even know who she was. All that entered her head was a single word, a name perhaps…"Lita." But nothing could be told of how she got there, or why she felt as if she'd woken up after a really long nap.

"Who…who am I? How did I get here? And what of…this…pain?" she questioned. For at that moment, the girl felt excruciating pain stemming from an unknown sorrow. Though this place was as beautiful as a grand imperial palace, it was devoid of all life and she was all alone. She gripped her head as the pain began beating against her temples with all its might.

Getting her bearings, the girl began running away from the atelier. She exclaimed, "Someone has to be here! I can't be here all alone…I don't want to be alone. Anyone! Can you hear me? I don't know where I am or how I got here. Help me!" However, though she searched the room and all the others in the building top to bottom, there was no sign of life. She truly was all alone.

Finally, the girl came to the entrance to the massive atelier. She took the portal and found herself in an abandoned city. It seemed that no matter where she ran to, there was no one else alive in the entire world. What sort of cruel fate had left her to be devoid of not only self but of all human affection?

At the city's entrance, she fell to her knees and began crying. "What good is it to be alive, if there is no one to share it with? I can't continue to exist in such a place; this city keeps crying out to me as if to throw all of the pain that occurred here into my heart. If this is all that there is…I should just die!"

She got to her feet and kept walking. After some time, the girl came to the edge of a high cliff and an idea began to surface in her head. There was nothing left for her: no people, no past, no purpose. This cliff, the guardian that protected the city's remains, would become her grave. With trepidation and nervousness, she began stepping forward an inch at a time. Soon, she was at the edge. A second later, as she got her bearings, the girl allowed herself to fall off, her hat being blown away in the wind.

'It sure is a long way down,' she began thinking, 'I wonder if my life will flash before my eyes as they say? This might be the only way of remembering how I got there and why I don't know anything. Not like anyone will miss me when I'm gone; if anyone who is still alive cared, they would have come to help me and I wouldn't be in this predicament right about now.' A single tear fell from her right eye.

-Stop! Don't do this! You must live,- a woman's voice begged from within her head.

That snapped the girl back to her senses. She could clearly see the rocky ground below, waiting to catch her and break her to pieces in the same blow. Fear shot through her body like the sting of a needle. The girl clutched her chest and the jewel she had somehow concealed within her shirt.

She whispered, "I…I don't want to do this anymore. I want to go home!" Suddenly, a miracle happened. A light shone from the youth's body and began to take the form of a pair of graceful gold capped white wings upon her back. They caught her from her death fall and allowed her to hover in place. Then, her hat mysteriously caught up to the rest of her and settled on top of her head. The wings began flapping of their own will, and started flying her away from the city of her pain.

However, all the girl wanted to know was how this had happened. "I was falling, and now I'm flying on a pair of wings. How do I have wings, anyway? I don't think anybody else does. Does it have something to do with why I was all alone in that atelier? Or is it something in where I come from?"

She was so intent on musing, that she didn't notice the Falcon Hawk coming up behind her. It struck her in the back with its talons, knocking her towards the ground once more. But the girl's wings made a quick recovery, and her somewhat instinctual reflexes kicked in. With anger in her eyes, she put her unarmed hand into a fist, and punched. The hawk felt the wind being knocked out of it, and began falling towards the ground itself, presumably to its death.

Even though she'd taken it out, the girl was still injured. Her wings flew her a short ways more before making the long descent towards the forest below. As she landed, she knelt down and took notice of her surroundings. There was a town not too far off; perhaps she could get help there. And she could also see the city she had come from earlier that day off in the distance on its mountain. But her reverie was short lived because a sharp pain in her back accompanied by dizziness set in. She was bleeding where the Falcon Hawk had struck her, and she had nothing to heal herself with.

"The town is my only hope," she stated, "Someone there ought to know about medicine."

S...S

She stumbled into town just as it started to rain. Nobody was on the streets, they'd all gone home. The girl began lurching towards the nearest building and reached for the knob. But her strength gave way at the last second and she collapsed against its side. The last thing she remembered before the world went black was the sound of a trash can as she knocked it over.

- - - -

**Teefa's Last Words...**

First chapter…done! This isn't going to be that long, just enough to set Lita up for her entrance in Atelier Iris. The reason I didn't write her name out was that she's not yet sure that the name in her head is hers. It's to get you into her lack of identity at this point in the story. I'll start using her name in the next chapter once we get past a certain point. This is good therepy for me and good to ease my cravings. I need something to do till I play AI:2 and can write my Avenberry fic.


	2. A Name

**A Name**

Norman, Kavoc's bartender, was startled to hear the noise outside. He didn't know of any drunks who'd left the bar, it was too early for that. Yet, there was the sound of a trashcan hitting the ground outside as if someone had knocked into it when they fell down. It was best to go out and investigate.

After donning a raincoat and grabbing a lantern, Norman left his tavern and took a peek outside. At first, he saw nothing. But before he chalked it up to being just a cat or dog running around, he found blood spattered against his wall. And, right below the blood, was the injured girl. She was out cold and breathing heavily. Luckily, her wings had vanished so Norman could not see them.

"Poor girl," he said, "Must have been attacked by a monster on the way into town. Can't just leave her like this though." With that, he picked her up in his arms and began heading towards the house above the bar. It was a small place he'd rented to Galgazits when they came through town, but right now it was the only shelter for the poor, wounded child from this terrible storm.

S...S

-Lita…Awaken! You must…protect the Ruby Prism…- a woman's voice called to her.

The girl replied, "Lita…Is that my name? And is this strange gem I have with me what you call the Ruby Prism?" She grasped the stone in between her hands and held it up for the voice to see more clearly. Suddenly, the jewel began to glow a bright red, almost blinding the teenager who held it.

There was silence until the light cleared. -That is…my gift to you. Protect it…it is your life.-

"What do you mean?" she called back, "My life, how can a gem be my life? Just where in the world do I come from anyway? Who am I?" The girl ran forward as if to search for the source of the voice. However, all that she could see was a black void that stretched out around her in all directions.

-You are Lita…my….- the voice began to tell her. But just then, the dream began to fade. White hot light washed over the girl as the void began to take shape. However, just before she woke from her sleep, she saw the serene face of a woman dressed in ornate robes. The figure had just enough time to smile at her, a smile of both happiness and sorrow, before the girl felt herself begin to wake up.

S...S

When the girl came to, the first thing she saw was Norman putting his cool hand against her forehead. He stated, "Well, at least your fever is down now. I'd just not move too quickly for some time or else you might aggravate the wounds I bandaged up. Now then, how in the world did you get into such a horrible predicament? Where did you come from anyway, young one?" His face shined with a fatherly concern, a concern for those who needed help. He would do her no harm while in his care.

She thought a little while before answering; things were still not so clear for her at this time. "I…came here because it was the first town I saw. There was…a monster on the road and I was injured when it got the drop on me. The rest of it, I don't really want to talk about at this time." That, she believed, was the best answer to give. It gave him all the information he needed at this time, while still kept the secret of her problems. This was not the person to tell them to; the girl didn't believe anybody needed to know that she was an amnesiac who woke up in some sort of strange atelier and had grown wings to protect herself from falling off a cliff. Just the knowledge of what happened gave her cause to fear.

"I see," Norman replied, "Then I won't pry. But what's your name? I need to call you something."

She paused for a moment again. After all, it still confused her as to who exactly she was. But the vision, that woman, seemed to refer to her by a name. It was as good as anything else at the moment. "You can call me Lita then. Hey, do you have anything to eat? I'm starving," she inquired. After all, "Lita" didn't know when she'd eaten last. It could have been long before she'd woken up in that building.

Norman smiled and told her, "I run a restaurant and bar downstairs. You're still injured and I wouldn't want you to move, but I'll bring something up for you in a little bit. After all you've been through; you deserve a nice, hot meal and something cold to drink. See you in a little while, Lita." Then, he left.

S...S

It wasn't long before Norman returned with an order of Buffalo Wings and some Lando Juice. Lita was salivating just looking at the meal. Not only did she get food in her empty belly, but something told her that both the meal and the drink were favorites from long ago. The bartender set a small bed table upon her lap, and lay the dish on top of it. "Here you go Lita. I'll come back to check on you later; the lunch rush is about to start and I need to get back to the bar. But please, enjoy the meal."

"I will, sir," Lita replied, "And thank you for all you've done for me so far. You saved my life."

"You can call me Norman. Please, don't think anything of it. I was just doing what any decent person would do for someone in your situation. Now eat your meal and get some rest," he told her.

Lita said, "Well, no matter what the circumstances, the fact of the matter is you still saved my life. And for that, I thank you. Take care of yourself out there, Mr. Norman." The bartender smiled at her words and left to take care of his patrons. In the meantime, Lita began eating her meal, feeling a lot better with every bite of food that went into her belly. Afterwards, she lay down and went to sleep again.

S...S

The woman was crying, that much was certain. She was the only person Lita could see in the void besides herself. Her hair was as black as the air around them, her eyes as blue as her tears. The clothes she wore consisted of a purple robe with a white and blue piece over it, and a white and purple hat. At her side was a beautifully decorated cane, used for magic, and in her hands was a charm.

Looking up, she wiped away a tear and stared Lita right in the eyes. -You should not be here. This is a place for those that have passed on. Your place is back with the living. Things are as you found them because it is for the best. Let free your heart and don't live in a past you cannot remember.-

"I want to know what you know," Lita begged, "Why do you call out to me? Who am I exactly?"

-The time is not yet for those answers. Just remember…never lose the Ruby Prism. It is important that you keep it with you at all times. Without that gem, you will…- she began. But before Lita could hear why she needed to protect the jewel, the woman began to fade away. Once more, Lita was left all alone. She sunk to her knees and began to cry. This feeling, it was the worst thing in the world.

She whispered, through her sobs, "Why can't you tell me who I really am…?"

- - - -

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Drama in the form of dreams…my specialty. Lita's got to go through a lot of pain before things get better. After all, she told Veola she was afraid of being hurt again so I have to write about how her visions bring out more of her loneliness. Anyway, next chapter should see Lita getting better and heading more towards her target job.


	3. A Place to Call Home

**A Place to Call Home**

After a few days' rest, Lita felt much better. Her wounds were healed and she felt strong enough to move around. However, her injury based illness had one negative side effect…she was still not as strong as she had been. Because she had been wounded, and the infection had been left to fester for a short time, some of her muscles had relaxed and weakened. Lita could still pack a punch better than most people in Kavoc, however she wasn't what she had been when she killed the Falcon Hawk. Not that she realized this yet, would only find out when she encountered another hawk attacking Klein. Also, perhaps a side result of her amnesia, she could swear that she had more tricks up her sleeve than just a simple punch. But she didn't know what they were and wouldn't find out for some time.

"I thank you for all your help," she told Norman, "But I must be moving on now that I'm better."

"Wait a minute, Lita. Why don't you stay in town for awhile? You're bright and cheerful, and I'm sure many people would find a place in their heart for you. Or is there somewhere specific you were headed or someone you were trying to meet with," Norman inquired of the young girl.

Lita thought for a moment. Really, she had nowhere to go and no way of knowing what other places she could visit. If she stayed in one place, she would not only be unable to find out any clues to her past, but she'd also make friends. After the pain she'd gone through, Lita did not want to ever make friends again. Whomever she'd lost in the past would be her last hurt. However, she didn't want to confess all that to Norman. Rather, she said, "I'd like to stick around, but I'm broke. I wouldn't be able to afford a house for permanent residence." It was as good excuse as any, she thought.

Norman smiled, Lita truly didn't want to hurt anyone. "Well, this house is actually one I rent out to Galgazits. They're kind of like a mercenary force that hunts Growloons and the Demons they summon. Most Galgazits work in small groups or alone. However, if you're not up for a fighting job I could probably find something for you to do. Perhaps a delivery girl or a waitress in my bar."

"Fighting is probably my best bet," Lita stated, "I'm pretty strong, only got hurt because I was hit from behind and I still beat the monster while injured." In reality, Lita was sure she had been some sort of warrior before she'd lost her memory, or at least trained in the arts. She just needed to pick up a weapon that could accent her choice of using her body in combat, such as a claw gauntlet or a glove.

"Well, there are no other Galgazits I know of who live in town, so you won't have a partner to back you up in battle. If that's not okay with you, and you prefer fighting on a team, there is a knight force called the Alkavana in this town. Their base is in the cathedral at the northern end of the city. However, you'd have to use a sword in keeping with their force's style of battle," Norman informed her.

Lita replied, "I'd rather work alone anyway. I'll still be helping other people by fighting them."

Norman looked at her and smiled. "Yes, it would help others greatly. Growloons are large white and purple spherical creatures that can summon the nastiest Demons to their aid. By themselves, they are actually quite weak and fall to even the flimsiest of blows. However, some of their summoned monsters are really powerful. That's why I wanted to warn you that you'd be all alone, because of the danger. I'd advise visiting Hagel's Weapon Shop before you go on a mission, to get yourself armed." He tossed her a small pouch that she guessed was filled with money to get her started

"Don't worry, Norman," Lita assured him, "I'll be okay. Well, I guess I should make a stop off at this weapon shop and get myself something." She got up and left the house, leaving Norman to wait for her to get situated. Something told her things would get real interesting real soon in this town.

S...S

"Welcome, how can I help you?" inquired the man at the weapon shop's counter.

Lita asked, "Do you have any gloves or claws that I might purchase? I'm preparing to become a Galgazit, and need something to fight with." This was exciting Lita to no end. Somehow, the name "Galgazit" was familiar to her. Was that what she was all along and she'd just lost her weapon in the city before she was knocked out? Or was someone she knew in the past a "Galgazit?"

The shop owner, Hagel, looked on his shelf and handed her a basic type of claw. "Sorry, this is all I've got. Ores are harder to find nowadays, especially when the closest mines shut down over a decade ago. So I've been unable to make decent weapons for some time. And I don't have gloves because of the fact that I'm not that good with leather. Fine details like sewing are pretty difficult with hands my size. So I stick with just a hammer and the flames. For you, the price is 530 Cole."

Lita was about to hesitate, she didn't have any money. But then she remembered the pouch Norman had thrown to her. The girl took out the necessary Cole and gave it to the shop owner. After thanking him, she equipped her new claw and left to tell Norman and thank him for the money.

S...S

"Ah, a claw," Norman stated, "Well, it looks really good on you. I know you'll be good at this."

"Thanks for your support, Mr. Norman. I think this'll be an enjoyable experience. And the second I earn some money, I'll pay you back for everything you did for me. After all, you saved my life and gave me the opportunity to get back on my feet afterwards," Lita informed the bartender.

Norman said, "Don't worry about it. I wanted to help you. Keep the extra money in the bag for your own use later on. And you can always come talk to me or Finn, a young reporter who hangs around the tavern to hear the latest news. We're generally the ones who find out about available jobs for Galgazits around the area, as well as other things that a person can do. I not only am the representative who rewards Galgazits for a job well done, but I also work on finding other work for them when there are no Growloons around. For example, I would like to know if you can deliver a package to the Alkavana Knights for me. It was sent to the bar by mistake and I don't have time to bring it to them."

Lita smiled. "No worries. It doesn't seem too hard. I'll go find the cathedral and get the package to them." She then went with Norman to the bar, and he pulled it down from his back shelf. Then, Lita walked off to find the cathedral and get the package to the Knights.

- - - -

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Another chapter, showing Lita getting into her job. Next chapter will be her delivery mission and then perhaps I'll get to her first Growloon…and her meeting with Delsus (for the humor, gotta love that guy). I hope the price of the Claw was right. I swear I could buy a basic Claw at some point in the game, but I can't get it at my post-game save nor when I started over to just look. So I doubled what everyone said was the selling price of the weapon. Man…what a pain!


	4. Working

**Working**

"Hello!" called Lita as she knocked on the door, "I've got a package for the Alkavana Knights..."

"Just a moment, I'll be right there," replied a young man's voice. A few seconds later, the girl saw a young man with reddish orange hair and blue eyes dressed in armor and the over cloak of a high ranking member of the Alkavana. He stated, "I thank you for bringing this here. I must go tell Sir Beggur right away that it's arrived!" Then, the young man rushed inside the cathedral in a hurry.

Lita stood there looking at the door for a moment. 'Boy, he sure was in a hurry. I wonder what was in that package. It had to be important for that knight to rush back inside like a mouse running to avoid the cat. But such a small package couldn't hold armor or weapons he could use.'

"Sorry about that," a blond knight with green eyes stated as he walked by, "Ein tends to rush into doing things and always tries his best to impress the captain. All that he was expecting was a gift from his sister who is abroad at this time. Nothing special, that's it. Anyway, here's a small gift for going out of your way to deliver the package to us." He held out his hand and handed Lita a small bag. When she later looked at the contents after arriving back home, she would find it held 500 Cole.

"No trouble at all. Thanks for the reward and I hope your captain likes his package," Lita said.

She waved to the other knight as he walked inside the cathedral as well. Then, Lita turned around and began walking towards her home. But when she was near the magic shop, she bumped into a silver haired man in red. Both the man and the girl were knocked back onto their rear ends.

The man got up and brushed himself off. He told her, "I'm sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going. You be careful now, miss…" As Lita got up as well, she saw a glint in his red eyes that seemed to unnerve her. Then, the girl shook her head; how could a random stranger she came across make her feel so uneasy? She must just be hungry from running around town doing errands.

Lita eyed him one more time; there was nothing menacing about this man's appearance. "That's okay. I wasn't watching either. I guess we're both at fault. Have a safe trip home."

The young woman walked away and the man turned towards her with a smirk on his face. 'This girl…she is the one who was described in that textbook we found so many years ago. The one who holds the Ruby Prism; I can feel its power flowing from her general area. That light that came out of Avenberry the other day must have been her awakening. Quite a fortunate turn of events this is. I now know where I can find the gem if my own power continues to fail at the summoning ceremony…'

S...S

Lita thought nothing more of her mysterious encounter. Instead she busied herself around the house, arranging things to suit her preferences. Afterwards, the girl went to the grocery store to pick up some supplies with the money she'd earned. However, on the way back, things went wrong.

"Growloon!" screamed a man running into the city, "A Growloon appeared in Poto's Forest!"

'That's my cue. My first real mission as a Galgazit,' thought Lita. She rushed home to put the groceries on the table, and then hurried towards Poto's Forest on the outskirts of town. There, she saw a Wood Golem banging its chest and a Growloon situating itself on top of the bluff.

Lita dove at the Growloon to cut off the source of the summoning first. That way, she could turn all her attention to the Golem without having to worry about another monster appearing at her backside. In only one swift swipe of her claws, the bubble-like creature was destroyed and the Golem alerted to an attack from behind. The girl brandished her weapon again and pointed it right at the monster.

She yelled, "You're not going to go another step further! Now, you face me!" With that, she dove.

The Golem dodged the initial attack, but Lita managed to land on her hands and springboard herself back into a standing position. Again, she ran at the creature and this time she made contact. But the monster wasn't out yet, and grabbed its head in its hands. Then, it tossed the projectile at her.

Lita was knocked back into the rocks and sat dazed for a moment. The angry creature was slowly stepping towards her, preparing to end her life in a fell swoop. However, suddenly, the jewel she wore around her neck began to glow from underneath her shirt. Finding the power to stand up on her feeble legs, the girl dodged the slap attack meant for her. Then, she landed another scratch on the Golem, causing a critical hit. As it lumbered towards her new position, Lita ran forward in a bum rush to punch the monster right in the gut. It was tossed back onto the ground, and died.

She was breathing quickly as she fell to her knees. "That was close. I nearly…ugh! It hurts…"

But before Lita wondered how it could get any worse, a black haired blue eyed man with a goatee came from the south. He had on a green and gold shirt, violet pants, armor that covered his upper torso, some gaudy gold jewelry, and a white wraparound cloak with green fringe. He looked at her with interest.

"Are you okay miss?" the man inquired, "My name is Delsus and I'll be your knight in shining armor for today. Allow me the honor of escorting you into town." Before Lita could protest, he was helping her up and putting her left arm around the right side of her body. His right arm, in return, went around her shoulders and he began to lightly caress her exposed skin.

'Something tells me this guy isn't doing it for charity. He's a shameless flirt if I ever saw one,' thought the very embarrassed Lita. But she did need help getting back home and he was the only person who happened to be in the area…unfortunately for her. She'd just have to slap him silly later on.

S...S

Back at the house, Delsus was helping Lita into her bed. She could tell from the goofy expression on his face that his next line was not going to be something she'd like. He inquired, "Would you need anything else, fair maiden? Do you require some help undressing so you might check for any injuries requiring medical attention? I certainly would love to…" He didn't get to go on. For Lita could tell he had more in mind than simply checking her over, so she decked him.

The girl blushed as she recoiled her hand. "I am not going to be your free peep show! Get the hell out of my house so I might rest and recover in peace. Or else I'm going to have to put your groping arm in traction for the rest of the year, you pervert?"

"Hell no am I interested in that," Delsus quipped back, "If I wanted to get a free show from an injured girl, I'd choose one with a little more up top if you know what I mean. You're too much of a flat chested kid to hold my interest!" Noticing Lita grabbing a vase on her desk to toss at him, Delsus wisely fled the house before he got hurt. The vase in question smashed against the floor as Lita looked on.

"Excuse making pervert…no way I'm going to fall for it," she muttered. Suddenly, the girl felt a pain in her chest. At once, the wings that had flown her away from her death reappeared on her back as her world began to fall out from under her. Then, everything went black...

- - - -

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Yes, Lita meets some other denizens of Kavoc. And we get a scene with Delsus being Delsus. Well, he is a good laugh a lot and it sort of set how disastrous his first encounter is with Lita and thus her attitude towards his antics later on; I will, however, have a scene where he sort of makes up with her later on so we know why she can at least tolerate him when they are in the party together.

The bit with Mull was there to simply show how he knew about Lita before the incident at the cathedral. I always figured he probably found something in Iris' Resting Place regarding her daughters when he was younger, seeing as it is the entrance to his place as well as the fact that he and Zeldalia are seen talking there in the flashback. And it would make sense to be "we" because that would also explain how Zeldalia knew enough about Lita to make a Mana Bath to help her. Next chapter, we get another dream and things start coming together.


	5. The Past Awakens

**The Past Awakens**

-Lita…- called the mysterious woman's voice, -Lita…come…come home…Avenberry…-

"Where? Where might I find this Avenberry? Who are you and what is your connection to me and my past? Answer me goddamit! Or else I'll have to start beating you around like a punching bag in order to get my answers," she yelled back. Again, the girl found herself in a black void, alone. The voice didn't seem to come from any one direction, but echoed all throughout this lonely sphere.

She continued walking. Suddenly, a pillar of light came from above and landed a few feet in front of her. Lita shielded her eyes from its brilliance with her left arm, but kept enough of a view on the power to see what was happening. It began to take shape, the shape of a human female. The shape of the woman who she had seen in her dreams before. Her face seemed sad as she looked at the girl with an eye of both concern and pity. Not knowing what was going on, Lita unshielded her eyes and took a step back as a precaution. But the woman held her position where the light had landed.

She said, -I cannot stay long, nor can I tell you much. It's for the best, however.-

Lita was nervous as the woman spoke. Her past, everything about herself seemed locked within this one person. However, she was scared of the answers and scared of what they might reveal. But she stood firm, wanting to understand no matter what the cost. "Well, tell me then. I just want to know who I really am and where I came from. And why I was in that cold, lonely city all by myself."

-My name is Iris Blanchimont, the legendary alchemist,- she stated, -You, Lita, are a humanoid I created long ago during the days in which that city, Avenberry still held up in the sky. Thus, you are my daughter and share my surname. But after the crash I sealed you away along with my Ruby Prism, a powerful stone with the ability to constantly produce mana. That gem is your lifeforce; without it your body will not be able to produce enough mana to live off of. Your life would be drastically shortened. Protect that jewel if you wish to survive. I beg of you…-

"So that's who I am? I'm not even human. I was created to guard this stupid jewel, wasn't I? If that's not it, why did you grant me life?" Lita yelled in anger. However, Iris did not answer. She looked at the girl, mouthed what appeared to be "I'm sorry," and then began to fade away. Lita rushed to grab her and make her cough up the answers she craved, but she was gone before the girl got to her.

Iris' voice echoed, -Survive. That is all I can say to you now. Good luck, my daughter…-

Lita fell to her knees in despair. "What does it all mean? I'm not even a real person. How can I live like this? I got answers, but I also received new questions in return. Do I even want to know anymore? Should I find out how and why I came into this world? And what exactly did I mean to her?"

S...S

The girl woke up in a cold sweat. She clutched her head; it was just a dream. But something deep within her heart told her that what she was told in that dream was real, that she really wasn't human. Her heart began to ache with the pain of finding out such a horrible past. Lita didn't ask to be born a humanoid, whatever that was. She didn't want to owe her life to someone's experiments; even if they were those of someone who was thought of as a legendary alchemist.

"Those wings, they must be something she put into me," Lita told herself, "Perhaps to keep me from doing something stupid or to alert me when I'm tired. I'm just lucky that Casanova back there didn't get a chance to see them or else I would be found out. I don't want anyone to know this, don't want them to hurt me. I just…just want to be a normal girl like everybody else in Kavoc. Is that too much to ask?"

She stared at the ceiling. If her true identity got out, Lita feared that there would be those who would think of her as either a freak of nature that must die, or an experiment that must be examined. It was even more a reason to continue pushing others away and living on her own for the rest of her life.

'That way, I won't be hurt by them learning the truth. I don't need friends, but I still want to be known and admired. It would justify my existence a little more if I were to be loved by these people, make me feel more human. I'll continue on as a Galgazit in hopes of having them show me appreciation. As I become more known and more recognized, my past won't tie up my life. I will be my own person, not Iris' experiment. But why did she call me "my daughter" if I'm just her project? Is it some sort of maternal love she holds for me, or is it a derogatory term to say that I owe my life to her just as a child is birthed by his or her mother? Either way, I must become who I am and not who she wants,' Lita thought.

S...S

It rained the next day, the perfect backdrop for Lita's mood. The girl sat looking out her window at the city ahead of her, only leaving to pick up the pay she'd neglected to receive after her fainting spell. Norman was just happy to know she was okay, and offered her some medicine.

Lita told him, "I'll be okay. I rested and now I feel a lot better. Thanks for your offer, though."

Norman looked up from the glass he was washing. "No problem. I heard you had a run in with Delsus though. Don't mind him, he's just a flirt. He's been trying ever since he came to town a year ago to hook himself up with a woman, with no success. That's why he approaches most any girl he comes across, no matter who they are; he wants to up his chances at finding a girlfriend."

"With an attitude like that, his chances won't do much good," she replied, "He wanted to help me strip to check my wounds. I'm an innocent girl and I don't show my body to anyone." She silently added, 'Besides, he wouldn't want to be with some alchemic experiment anyway. And I'm probably a little young for someone like him. I'm better off without any friends and loved ones.'

"Well, just don't mind him. I'll admit he really isn't that good with women. But don't take it too personally when he tries to flirt. It will save you a whole lot of stress in the long run," Norman told her. After that, Lita gave her thank yous and headed back for the house.

S...S

She hoped to see Iris again in her dreams, to question her some more. But no vision came to her that night, nor the next. Lita woke up disappointed each time, wishing that someone would come and tell her why she was created. That information might only reside in Avenberry, the city she'd awoken in. So early the next day, the girl left town and began taking the road south of the forest to find the hidden city.

- - - -

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Revelations and drama in this chapter. Next one should tie everything up nicely and set the stage. I only needed to set a stage for Atelier Iris and not to tell her whole life's story. That part would be covered in a future release based on the time of Avenberry.


	6. Locked

**Locked**

Lita eventually arrived at a huge imposing gateway that blocked her path. She put her hand on the stone, feeling a strange energy that seemed to guard it from ever opening. Some other key was needed to open the way to her past. In effect, Lita and the rest of the world were locked out.

'And I came all this way, too,' she mused, 'Maybe I should have looked around more instead of making a hasty retreat. I don't know how to open this gate, but I know I can find it if I try. It might take time, however there will come a day that I return to that city and confront who I am and why I'm here. Well, if nothing can be done for now, I'd better head back to Kavoc and see if there's work for me.'

S...S

When she returned to town, she saw one of the Alkavana Knights was finishing up a speech. He was a large, older man with a rough face and a loud voice. And behind him was the man who Lita had bumped into the other day. The girl wondered what everything was about.

"I would once again like to thank Sir Mull for his dedication to the cause of the Alkavana. Though I will remain in active command of the knights, it will be he who makes the big decisions and plans for our agency. We would like to continue serving the people of Kavoc and protecting them with our power. Now, return to your daily business and resume your lives, as we return to protecting you all," the knight stated.

He and the silver haired man walked away, and the people began to resume what they had been doing before he interrupted them. The only person who was still hanging around was Delsus, looking quite perplexed. As Lita approached to ask what was going on, he muttered, "Guess there goes my treasure hunt. Man, what a drag. Who is this Mull character to say we can't try to go there?"

The flirt was soon all too aware of the small foot tapping behind him. Turning around, Delsus saw Lita standing there impatiently. She eyed him as if to get his attention. "What was that all about? I was out of town for a little bit on business and I find this stranger coming in to set some new rules."

"It's a pain," Delsus informed her, "That Mull character is the new head of the knights. He just decreed that nobody is allowed to head for the city of Avenberry. Er, if you don't know it's the place just past that large gate to the west of here. Supposedly, there's a treasure there as well as the secrets of the ancients. Many explorers came to find what it really was, and Kavoc was established to give them a base camp of sorts. But now there goes our main import of travelers and tourists, as well as my desire to go and find whatever treasures I can in the city. It's my other profession, after all."

"Other profession? Other than being a lecherous pervert?" yelled an incredibly mad Lita.

Delsus looked taken aback, but replied, "About that time…sorry. I can't help myself around the ladies after all. Especially the situation you were in, I always dreamed of being some girl's knight in shining armor. Let's just put it all behind us and make a fresh start. We don't even have to be friends, just be civil to one another in the event that we meet like this again. What do you say, young lady?"

Lita looked away from him. "I guess that works. Not like I really have time for close friends. I have to keep getting stronger so I can better myself at the work of a Galgazit. Besides, fighting with you over your tendencies would only become a major headache in the long run. So I'll treat you with respect if you do the same for me." She smiled upon realizing that she'd quoted Norman there.

"I'm a Galgazit myself," Delsus stated, "But I'm often out of town on hunts because I really don't like staying one place but wanted to go to Avenberry. I guess I'll keep it up until either I find a way to get in without alerting Beggur and the bozos over at Alkavana, or they decide that it's no big deal for treasure hunters to continue doing what they love as long as it doesn't hurt anyone. Well, see you later."

Lita watched him leave and then returned home herself. She felt dejected; this meant she would be unable to go to Avenberry as well. There had to be some way to get there, and some way to not have to deal with those knights on the way. But why would that Mull character want to stop others from going?

'Maybe that feeling I had regarding him was right after all. Either he wants to find a way inside and keep everything there for himself, or he doesn't want anybody to find out about what's inside. But how could he know what is there? I don't know, I guess now's not the time anyway. I'd best let my disappointment over these two obstacles set in and then try to think of a plan,' she thought.

Lita decided then to go eat something. After all, you can't think on an empty stomach. So she went to Norman's and ordered a burger and some Lando Juice. But even that didn't help her at all. If anything, she was further behind because several ideas had already been junked. Going to Avenberry to discover her past was shaping up to be quite the difficult task. And there was no one around to help her. Delsus didn't seem to want to go against Alkavana and even Lita knew she couldn't beat them all on her own. She knew that this was going to become quite the project indeed…

S...S

Lita went back to study the gate several times. Each instance, she made sure to go in the opposite direction from the gates so that anyone who might follow her would think she had a constant business in that area. Once she was sure that no one was hiding in the nearby bushes to tail her, Lita would head in the direction of Henmil's gate to continue her observation of the structure.

Deducing from what she knew about Avenberry and Iris, the girl deduced that it was alchemy that kept it sealed. Thus, Lita figured, it would probably take an alchemist to undo the seal. Unfortunately, from what she figured out, alchemy as an art was dying out. Thus, finding someone to open the gates would be an incredible long shot indeed. Lita was back to square one again.

More searching concluded that Mull, Alkavana's new big shot, was in fact an alchemist. But Lita was no fool; she would never ask him. That man had given her some sort of negative feeling ever since she first laid eyes on him. Asking for his help might very well seal her own fate.

So Lita was alone, just as she wanted, for about a year. But the, as she was heading towards the gates one day, she beheld a Falcon Hawk in Lapis Woods attacking someone. Lita jumped in to help out, only to find what appeared to be a cocky boy with an attitude. Disgusted, she walked off towards her destination, but did tell the boy where to go to make it to town. Little was she to know that he was the one she searched for; the alchemist who would open the gates. And that encounter in the woods would lead to Lita's discovery of her own past and the shaping of her own future, as well as a battle that would determine the very fate of the world they both lived in.

- - - -

**Sky's Corner**

Oi, this is Sky filling in for Teefa because the rat of a Winged Woren decided to hold a meeting tonight regarding the new fics they have planned. Anyway, another story comes to a close. We put Lita to where she was at the start of the game, and introduce how things came to be. And Teefa chose a year for the interim between her awakening and the game because Lita is supposed to live a normal human life, thus she should theoretically age, and she didn't look much younger in the flashbacks.


End file.
